Academic Vision, 2005-2010

Whitworth College

Five Strategic Objectives

• Improve on excellence in teaching, learning, and scholarship.

• Advance the intercultural and experiential learning enrichment opportunities for our students.

• Advance research, teaching, facilities, and student achievement in the natural sciences.

• Enhance facilities, community engagement, and collaboration in the performing and visual arts.

• Develop and implement a strategic plan for performance and growth in graduate and continuing studies at Whitworth.

Academic Excellence: ’05-’06

• Goal: Develop an action plan to reduce our dependence upon adjunct faculty for the undergraduate day program.

• Goal: Develop an action plan to improve teaching and learning at Whitworth College.

National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

Whitworth College

2005 Results

What Really Matters in College Student Engagement

The research is unequivocal-Students are not passive

recipients of institutional efforts to “educate” or “change” them.

Important to focus on ways in which an institution can shape its academic, interpersonal, and extracurricular offerings to encourage student engagement.

Pascarella & Terenzini. (2005). How college affects students: A third decade of research

Why A National Survey?

• Refocus conversations about undergraduate quality to what matters most

• Enhance institutional improvement efforts

• Foster comparative and consortium activity

• Inform accountability

• Provide systematic national data on “good educational practices”

Comparison InstitutionsAbilene Christian University

Albion College

Alverno College

California Lutheran University

Capital University

College of Charleston

Gordon College

Hamline University

Hope College

Le Moyne College

Linfield College

Luther College

Macalester College

Pacific Lutheran University

Point Loma Nazarene University

Saint Olaf College

The College of Wooster

University of Puget Sound

Westminster College (UT)

Wheaton College (MA)

Whitman College

Willamette University

Whitworth Promising Findings• Most students (88% freshmen, 92%

seniors) would attend Whitworth if they could start over again.

• Most students (92% freshmen, 94% seniors) say they had a good or excellent educational experience.

• High percentage (86% freshmen, 89% seniors) rate the quality of academic advising as good to excellent.

Effect Size• Indicates practical significance of the mean difference.• Mean difference/standard deviation of the comparison

group• 0.2= small• 0.5=moderate• 0.8=large• Positive effect size=institution mean was greater than

peers• Negative effect size=institution lags behind

comparison group• N= 360 freshmen and 311 seniors

Personal Growth Effect SizeComparison to Peers: Freshmen (dark) Seniors (light)

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Sp

irtu

alit

y

Per

son

alco

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of

valu

es

Co

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teto

com

mu

nit

y

Un

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iver

sity

Vo

tin

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nel

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s

Eff

ect

Siz

e

Writing Comparison to Peers: Freshmen (dark) Seniors (light)

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.82

+d

raft

s

pa

pe

rs>

20

pa

pe

rs5

-19

pa

pe

rs<

5

Eff

ect

Siz

e

Critical Thinking Comparison to Peers: Freshmen (dark) Seniors (light)

-0.4-0.3

-0.2-0.1

00.1

0.20.3

0.40.5

0.6

Mem

ori

zin

g

An

alyz

ing

Syn

thes

izin

g

Mak

ing

Jud

gem

ents

Ap

pli

cati

on

Eff

ect

Siz

e

Using NSSE Data• Discover current levels of engagement

(institution, major field, year in school)

• Determine if current levels are satisfactory (criterion reference, normative, or peer comparison)

• Target areas for improvement

• Modify programs and policies accordingly

• Teach students what is required to succeed

• Monitor student & institutional performance

Areas of Effective

EducationalPractice

Areas for InstitutionalImprovement

Internal Campus Uses

• Gauge status of campus priorities

• Examine changes in student engagement between first and senior years

• Assess campus progressover time

• Encourage dialogue aboutgood practice

• Link with other data to test hypotheses, evaluateprograms

• Improve curricula, instruction, services

InstitutionalImprovement

LearningCommunitie

s1ST Year

and Senior

ExperienceAcademicAffair

LearningAssessment

FacultyDevelopment

AcademicAdvising

PeerComparison

StudentAffairs

InstitutionalResearch

EnrollmentManagement